Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong is scheduled to deliver a speech on July 22, 2026, at the 59th ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting in the Philippines, where she will warn China that Australia and neighboring nations will not be bullied by its 'provocative' actions.

Wong's address directly addresses a recent escalation in military posturing. Earlier in July 2026, China launched a nuclear-capable submarine-launched missile in the South China Sea. The test, which China's state media reported on July 6, 2026, involved a missile fired from a nuclear-powered submarine into the Pacific Ocean Reuters.

Australia has described the missile test as 'provocative and destabilising.' Wong will say the test 'came with too little information and notification.' She will frame the launch within the context of China's rapid military buildup, including its nuclear arsenal, noting it lacks the transparency the region expects.

The timing of the test drew additional concern. China's long-range missile test in the South Pacific occurred just hours after Australia signed a defence agreement with Fiji. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed concern at the missile's long-range capabilities and the potential to cause 'considerable, considerable damage were it to be weaponised.' He described the launch as a 'provocative act' SBS News.

New Zealand, Tuvalu and Fiji have also condemned China's ballistic missile test SBS News.

Tensions extend beyond the missile launch. On July 20, 2026, the Philippine military accused the China Coast Guard of clubbing a Filipino sailor with a baton on a disputed shoal in the South China Sea. Wong had earlier criticised China's conduct as 'destabilising and dangerous' following the accusation.

In her upcoming speech, Wong will say Australia will continue to register concerns about China's vessels engaging in destabilising and dangerous conduct toward Philippine, Vietnamese, Malaysian, and Indonesian vessels in the South China Sea.

The broader context here is one of escalating strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific, where military signaling and maritime confrontations are becoming increasingly intertwined. Wong's speech signals a concerted Australian effort to rally regional consensus around norms of transparency and restraint, directly challenging Beijing's military posture.

Wong met with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the ASEAN meeting on July 21, 2026, in their 12th meeting The Guardian.

Beyond the immediate region, Wong will also warn that the region will suffer if the Strait of Hormuz is 'weaponised.'